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What you should know about Jail

Individuals convicted of any type of criminal charge should know that spending time in jail may be one of the punishments ordered by the judge. It is possible or an individual to spend up to 11 months, 29 days in jail for conviction of a misdemeanor charge, and 1 year up to life in prison for conviction of a felony. Here are a few things that you should know about jail. Remember, with the help of a criminal lawyer, the odds of being placed behind bars are decreased, just as a conviction in the first place.

First and foremost, it is generally not anything like what people say. You’ll get more than one phone call, for instance. It is a misconception that jail inmates are allowed only one phone call, but do expect to pay dearly for those calls via collect methods. Some jails and prisons have even implemented video calls to make it easier to communicate with the outside world!

You’ll get a nice jumpsuit to wear and maybe even a pair of shoes. But black and white stripes donning the name of the correctional facility aren’t attractive on many people. They’re one size fits all and aren’t shape flattering, that is for sure. Neither is the orange jumpsuits. Unless, of course, you’re in jail in Arizona, one of the toughest in the world. You might actually like the dyed pink boxers that you get to wear!

Sometimes jails offer what is called ‘good time.’ Various jails have various requirements for good time, but with most jails, this means that you’ll get time taken off of your sentence, if you behave while in custody! It is definitely worth checking out.

Don’t expect to be comfortable while inside of a jail cell. The concrete beds with small mats are usually old and worn, with less comfort than you could imagine. The cells are small as well. Expect to share your room with at least one other person; perhaps two.

Commissary is something you’ll come to enjoy during the one or two weekly offerings. If you have money in your inmate account you’ll be able to order items from the jail’s ‘store,’ or commissary. Snack items, cold drinks, potato chips, shampoo, deodorant and radios are just some of the different items you’ll be able to purchase from commissary.

Finally, don’t expect your time in jail to be spent ‘behind bars’ as most people would have you to believe. In fact, most jails are open pods, so you’re likely to be around many other inmates. Some jails or prisons may not have individual cells at all, housing all inmates together in one unit.